Mastering the customer experience in your business is an art form. It takes tons of patience, attention to detail, and most of all consistency. In an ever-changing world it’s an area that is always hard to stay on top of…especially during a pandemic. Your customers come in with more on their minds, new norms, and a heaviness that might have not always been there. They are adjusting to a lot, as are you.
Start small.
So how can you as a brand help your customers adjust to the times we are in? My advice is to communicate. Trust me, this little word is often over looked in the rush of the day to day operations. To start, make a list of the ways you communicate to your customers. Once you have this list, find the most cost-effective method to let them know you are still here, what’s changed about your business due to covid, and re-emphasize your brand’s purpose. This is the case for your employees as well, who are just as tired of all the changes. Using communications to keep them and your customers on the same page helps to prevent some of the conflict that has happened and will continue to happen in the times we are in. As this pandemic becomes more controlled (fingers crossed) your communications should only increase. With every new regulation, you need to make sure you communicate what that means to your customers immediately.
Below are a few quick cost effective areas to update:
- Voicemail
- Email signature line
- Company website
- Company Facebook
- Company Instagram
Customers like to have some sense of normalcy from their favorite brands whether it’s a restaurant, doctor’s office or clothing store. This shows that your brand has empathy when you rise to meet the angst of your customers.
Lets walk through the scenario of updating your voicemail and the impact it has on your brands customer experience. For example, you are now short staffed, hours have changed and when a customer calls and it goes to voicemail. THAT IS OK. What is not ok is if the voicemail doesn’t have any updated information stated on limited hours, or covid policies for the customer to better understand what is going on in your business. The customer hangs up, is annoyed that they had to leave a voicemail and aren’t even sure if you are open for business or if someone will get this message. They then share this negative experience with their friends and peers.
Positive customer experience.
The ideal scenario in this situation is that the customer hears an updated voicemail with new limited hours along with any covid related information. They know they can leave a voicemail in hopes of someone getting back to them since the company seems on top of it. No one wants to reach a voicemail, but it happens especially during a pandemic so utilize it to your brands advantage. Something quick and simple can really go a long way to manage your customer’s experience and reflect positively on your brand. Again, a basic fundamental element like communications in business often gets forgotten, use it!